Journal box



May 79 i929, m. s. @Amma/S JOURNAL BOX Filed Aug. l2, 1925 Patented May 7, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DONALD S. BARROWS, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 THE SYMINGTON COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION 0F MARYLAND.

JOURNAL BOX.

Application filed August 12, 1925. Serial No; 49,797.

This invention relates to journal boxes and more particularly to the means for hinging lids to said journal boxes'.

The principal object of my invention, generally considered, is to provide a pivotal connection between the journal box and .its lid so that the lid may be readily applied to and removed from said journal box. with provision for preventing loss of the pivotal means and turning thereof with respect to the lid.

An object of the invention is to provide a pintle or pivot pin for liinging lids to journal boxes which may be readily applied and prevented from undesired removal without involving undesired or expensive operations such as riveting.

Another object of my invention is the formation of a pivot pin or pintle for hinging lids to journal boxes, formed With one end bifurcated so that it may be inserted in place and the prongs, at said bifurcated portion, so separated that undesired removal thereof is prevented, said pin being formed of such material that the prongs are adapted for bending back and forth a number of times without breaking so that the same pin may be applied to or removed from the journal box a plurality of times.

Another object of my invention is the production of a journal box and hinged lid thereon with pivotal means so formed that it may be inserted and locked in place either manually or by power through a simple bending operation Without involving any riveting action, said pivot means. being also formed With a non-circular portion cooperating With a correspondingly apertured lid lug so that turning between the pivotal means and lid is prevented. I t

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a journal box with a lid hinged thereon by means of a pin, said lid being so formed that the edges thereof meet the edges of the journal box opening entirely around the periphery thereof to completely close thc same, the pin being so formed that it may be readily applied or removed, and when applied securely held in place and prevented from turning movement with respect to the lid.

Other objects and advantages of the invention, relating to the particular arrangement and combination of parts Will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawing illustrating my invention, the scope whereof is defined by the claim:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a lid constructed and pivoted to a journal box in accordance with my invention, a portionof the lid being broken away to more clearly illustrate features thereof.

Figure 2 is an end View, partly in section, of the construction shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view corresponding to Figure 1 but showing a modication.

Figure 4 is an end View of the modilica` tion illustrated in Figure 3. In the drawing, in which like parts are designated by like reference characters, a journal box 1 is illustrated formed with a hinge lug 2 projecting upwardly from the roof 3 thereof at a point adjacentthe forward edge 4f. The hinge lug 2 is provided with an opening 5 for the reception of the hinge pin or pintle 6 by which the lid 7 is pivotally connected to the journal box. Al'- though in connection with the present ein bodinient of my invention I will describe a specific form of journal box lid, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto as my improved hinge pin is adapted for use with many and various forms of journal boxes and lids therefor.

The lug 2 is provided With angularly disposed bearing faces 8 and 9, as is customary, said faces being formed to co-act with a spring mechanism carried by the lid so as to maintain the same in open or closed position. The lid 7 is preferably formed as an integral casting, the material preferably being either cast steel or malleable iron and is provided With a lip or down-turned edge portion 10 along the top and sides thereof, said edge being adapted to overlie the Wall 11 of the opening 12 of the journal box 1 to prevent the entry of moisture or dirt within the box. The lid may also be provided with interior flanges 13 and with a drip ange 14 to prevent the loss of lubricating material.

At its upper end the lid is preferably formed with a. hood portion 15 which extends so as to partly enclose the lug 2. At oppo,- site sides the hood portion is provided with ears or lugs 16 which are perforated, as at 17, for the receptionv of the hinge pin 6 by which the lid is pivotally connected to the journal box. The hood 15 is provided with an opening adjacent its lower -edge '18, the purpose and object of which will be hereinafter described.

Within the body of the lid and exteriorly of the journal box, there is provided a pocket or depressed portion 19. At substantially the point where the ocket. 19 mergesmto the plane of the lid ace, there is provided, on opposite sides of the center, a pair of outwardly facing seats or lugs 20. On the interior face of the hood 15, at a point adj acent the lower edge 18, there are provided bearing lugs 21 having curved bearing faces 22.

In. order to provide means for resiliently` retaining the lid in contact with the walls of the opening 12 when the lid is in closed position and also for maintaining the lid in open position so as to permit of free access to the interior of the journal box, 1 provide a torsion spring 23, said spring being provided with downwardly extending arms 24, each of which is adaptedto seat upon one of the lugs or seats 20. Each of the arms 24 extends upwardly and merges into a coil 25, and extending upwardly fiom the adjacent ends of the coils 25 are the arm 26 which may be, and preferably are, integrally connectedto form an inverted U-shaped portion 27, said portion being preferably provided with a bearing shoe 28 which may be conneeted to the arms 26 by clip portions 29. rlhe shoe 28, as will be seen from Figure 2, is normally adapted to contact the face 9 of the lug 2 when the lid is in closed position.

The position of the parts, that is the bearing faces or seats 20 and 22 and the recessed portion 19 is such that when the ltorsion spring 23 is forced upwardly within the opening between the hood 15 and the 11d 7, it is placed under considerable initial tension, the said tension, together with the portions 30 of the lugs 20, serving to prevent displacement of the spring.

The hinge pin or pintle 6 is preferably provided with a head 31 at one end thereof and with'a non-circular portion 32 lyiikig adjacent said head and iittingwithin the correspondingly shaped aperture 17 in the lug portion 16. In the present embodiment the portion 32 of the pin is formed approximately square in section and the dimensions thereof are slightly larger than the main or shank portion 33 ofthe hinge pin 6 which is preferablyl circular in cross-section. The opposite end of the pin 6 is preferably slit or bifurcated to form prongs 34 and 35 which are received in the other lid lug 16 in the specially formed aperture 17 thereof. Said aperture 17 is preferably formed to flare outwardly, as illustrated, so that the prongs 34 and 35 may be separated after insertion therethrough, and will then prevent undesired removal of the pin 6. If the aperture 17 is also formed flattened or elongated, according to the embodiment disclosed, as well as flaring, so as to be approximately the shape of a laterally flattened frustum of a cone, with the large end outward, and preferably elongated upwardly and downwardly ror along the hinge lug, it will also prevent turning of the hinge pin 6 with respect to the lid 7 when the prongs 34 and 35 are separated and moved into engagement with the end portions of the elongated aperture 17. This construction will provide an additional means for preventing undesired turning of the hinge pin with res ect to the lid, it being understood that if tie pin should stick in the lug 2 and be turned with4 respect to the lid, the prongs 34 and 35 would be forced together.

In the modification illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, a hinge pin 6a of substantially the same construction is illustrated except that it is slightly longer than that illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 and the hinge lug portion 16a, extending around the prongs 34a and 35a of the pin 6a, is formed substantially cylindrical for the major portion thereof with lip portions 36 and 37 bent in opposite directions, providing notches for engaging the prongs 34a and 35a. When said prongs are bent in place, as illustrated particularly in Figure 3, the pin 6a is not only prevented from undesired withdrawal but is also pre-V vented from turning with respect to the lid.

By means of the aforedescribed construction, the disadvantages of cold riveting for securing hinge pins in place, are obviated. Such cold riveting has been found to result in bending of a certain proportion of the pins used because the blow required is greater than the unsupported shank can withstand without bending in certain instances. The expense of local hot riveting has also been obviated by this construction and a bolt or hinge pin has been provided, the slit end of which may be either formed by cutting with a saw or hot punched, the

`separated ends or prongs being adapted to be expanded in place, under a press or by hand with a wedge-shaped tool, into the corresponding hinge loop which is preferably cored to suit and formed somewhatof the shape of a flattened cone. The hinge pin is-very easily removed as the separated ends can be hammered together using a blunt nose chisel. Such pins, if made of the proper grade of steel, can be used a plurality of times.

A lid constructed in accordance with the foregoing provides a complete closure for the journal box opening and vthe hood portion overlying the hinge lug prevents the entrjr and accumulation of dirt along the face of the journal box forwardly of the hinge lug and at the same time acts as a. water shed to prevent the entr of moisture to the interior of the journal liox,

Having now described my invention, what I claim is:

'In combination, a journal box, a hinge lug thereon, a hinge pin extending throu h said lug, a lid pivoted on said pin, said 1d having lugs through which the pin extends, one end of said pin being bifurcated and the corresponding lid lug" formed with a pin receiving aperture shaped like the laterally flattened frustum of a cone with the large end outward so that the prongs formed on the pin, when expanded in lace-in said aperture, will prevent undesired removal thereof, the other end of said pin being formed with a head and a square portion 15 beneath said head, the dimensions of said square portion being larger than the diameter of the pin shank, said square portion fitting in a correspondingly formed lid lug,

whereby said square portion cooperates with, 20

` DONALD S. BARROWS. 

